Edward j



B. J. BROOKS.

TIN STRIP SEAL. No. 323,633. Patented Aug. 4, 1885.

wmuassss 3 INVENTOR UNITED STATES Arntvr tries.

ED\VARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSTGNOR TO E. J. BROOKS & 00., OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

TIN-STRIP SEAL.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,683, dated August 4, 1885.

(No model.)

To all 2071,0121, it may concern: I

Be it known that l, EDWARD J. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States. residing at East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have i11- vent-ed a new and useful Improvement in Tin- Slrip Seals, (6, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in those seals which are each composed wholly ot' a strip of suitable sheet metal, a brittle grade of tin'plate, herein termed tin, being commonly preferred. Various forms of these seals are shown and described in the lollowing patents heretofore granted for my own invention, viz: No. 235,668, dated December 21, 1880, No. 24-2359, dated May 31, 1881,. No. 258,278, dated May 23, 1882, and No. 296,124, dated April 1, 1884.

My present invention consists in a certain novci method of fastening tin'strip seals, and in an improved blank or prepared tin strip adapted to be so fastened orsealed, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The object of this invention, in common u with my other seal inventions, is to furnish secure seals which cannot be tampered with without detection, and which at the same time are adapted to be made and used without excessive cost.

The special object of this invention is to provide for securely fastening tin strips in a way never before practiced or known,so far as I am aware, to wit: by interlocking portions of the same, formed by simple transverse bends, and then pressing the interlocked portions so as to sharpen their bends and perforate or indent the same in a direction perpendicnlar or transverse to the plane in which they were interlocked. This precludes separating the fastened strip ends without opening the pressed bends, and if the blank be made of metal sufticiently brittle to break if so rebent after its bends are pressed, or certainly in rebending it again to restore the appearance of the fastened seal, violation of the seal without detection beoomesimpossible.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings is an edge view of atin-strip seal-blank prepared for use according-to this invention, dotted lines being added to illustrate a different normal set of the ends. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof, and Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively an edge view and a side view of atin-strip seal made from said blank applied to a pair of car-door sta ples and fastened according to this invention. Fig. 5 is an edge view of another blank ready for use, and Fig. 6 a perspective view of a tin-strip seal made from this blank fastened according to the present invention. Fig. 7 is an edge view of another blank, and Figs. 8 and 9, respectively, edge and side views of a tin-strip seal made from this blank fastened accordin to the present invention.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

In carrying out this invention I first produce a blank, B or B or B", as represented by Figs. land 2, 5, and 7, using therefor suitable sheet metal, preferably tin of a brittle grade. These blanks may be produced from tin strips of uniform width sheared by parallel cuts from commercial plates of the metal, each being formed from a single strip by simple transverse bends. Before or after shearing the tin may preferably be provided with permanent colors or distinguishing-niarks to prevent counter; feiting, as set forth, for example, in my previous specification forming part of the Lotters Patent hereinbefore referred to; but these form no essential part of my presentinvention, and are not therefore shown in thedrawings.

in each of the three forms represented by the drawings the blank has, in addition to its looping bend or bends Z, a rebent portion or socket, as it may he termed, represented by s, and each extrem ty of the blank or its other extremity, if said socket be at or near one end, is provided'with a tenon portion, t, adapted to fit within said socket, and in each form the blank after bei n g passed through a pair of car-door staples, S S, Figs. 3, 4., 6, 8, and 9, or otherwise applied in suitable manner to the object which it is to secure, is completed by inserting said tcnon tinto said socket 3, as represented by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and shown in Figs. 5 and 7 and then pressing and perforating or indenting said socket and said tenon therein (at one and the same operation) by means of a suitable bit or die in a seal-press orpliers. Preferably the bit or die is forced entirely through the pressed osket and tenon, and this mode of complet- Jg the fastening is represented in Figs. 3, 4, 6, S, and 9, which show the fastened seals, as aforesaid, a indicating the aperture or perforation, and b the burr thrown out at the back of the perforated portion of the seal. The pressing is in all cases perpendicular or transverse to the plane in which the strip ends are interlocked, and without any clinching of said burrs b suffices to necessitate opening the pressed bends in order to free either end, and rebending the same to restore the appearance of the seal, as aforesaid. If the seal be so applied as to be subjected to strain while in position, as represented by Fig. 3, it is of course advisable to clinch the burrs I), as indicated in this figure, so as to strengthen the joint formed by the fastening. Otherwise this is nnneccessary.

The seal-blank 13, Figs. 1 and 2, has its socket s at mid-length, and both extremities are bent at right angles to form tenons t.

' Normally this blank may be open, as represented by Figs. 1. and 2, or closed, as represented by dottedlines in Fig. l. A seal formed therefrom is especially well adapted for securing car-doors fastened partly open to ventilate the contents of the car, as represented by Fig. 3. It could, however, be applied in like manner to a pair of staples so located as to secure a closed eardoor. and could be modified by omitting one end beyond the sockets to adapt it for application to pairs of staplesin the manner represented in Figs. 6 and S. The pressed or fastened ti n-strip seal made from said blank 13, as represented by Figs. 3 and 4, is shown provided with distinguishing-marks m, in addition to its fastening perforation and burr a I). The former are readily formed atthepressing operation, and by means of theperforating dies in the seal press or pliers, and are desirable when a simple perforation such as is shown at a in Fig. 4 is employed, while the latter is desirable if the burrs I), Fig. 3, are to be upset or clinched, as aforesaid. The blank B, Fig. 5, has its socket s at one extremity and substantially at right angles to theplane of the strip end which carries the same, and said tenont is correspondingly formed and arranged at the other extremity of the blank, and normally lies within the socket, as represented by Fig. 5, being thus held by the re sistance of the blank at its looping-bend Z to thetorsional displacement involved in separating the ends. Vhen so interlocked normally, it is readily opened, and one extremity passed through a pair of staples, S S, Fig. 6,

for example, and said tenon replaced within said socket, and it may be thus adjusted by an assistant to the sealer going before him and loosely applying the seals. so that they only require to be pressed in order to complete the fastening operation. In pressing the seal, as represented by Fig. 6, one or both of the lateral projections of the sockets would be pressed and perforated or indented, being preferably cut through together,with the tenon within it, by means of a bit of a distinctive shape, asindieated by the apertures a, Fig. 6, the respective projections being pressed simultaneously or separately.

In the modification represented by Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, the seal-blank B is provided with its socket-bend snear one extremity, and its tenon t is likewise formed and located, being identical with said socket, except in being adapted to fit within the latter. Both may conveniently be bent up simultaneously, and said tenon normally occupies the position within said socket before referred to and represented in Fig. 7. This blank is applied to staples S S, (or their equivalent,) as represented by Figs. 8 and 9, in substantially the same manner as said blank B", and at thepressing operation, alsoillustrated by these figures. Said socket and tenon are both closed and effectively secured against any separation thereof by forcing asuitable bit, preferably of distinctive shape, through the several thicknesses of the metal, as represented in the figures. The aperture (4 may in this case be very eonveniently and effectively of the form of a single intelligible eharactera numeral, for example-as represented in Fig. 9.

Having thus described my said improvement in tin-strip seals, (6,) I claim as my invention and desire to patent under the present specification 1. The improved method of fastening tinstrip sealsv herein specified, consisting in interlocking bent-up portions of the tin strip preliminarily one within the other, and then pressing and perforating or indenting the socket which incloses the other interlocking portion or portions, substantially as illustrated and described, for the purposes set forth.

2. An improved blank for tin-strip seals, having a series of transverse bends, forming a socket and a tenon portion or portions, the latter adapted to fit within said socket and to be secured against withdrawal by pressing both together and perforating or indenting the whole, substantially as herein specified, for the purposes set forth.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

\Vitnessesz' JOHN S. JENNINGS, HENRY L. O. \VENK.

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